Ouran Goes Greek!
by SnakeOfSilver
Summary: The Ouran gang is starting college in America! When Renge convinces Haruhi to rush a sorority, Tamaki decides that it is his responsibility (as well as that of Hikaru, Kaoru, Kyoya, Honey, and Mori) to join a fraternity so that they can keep an eye on their precious little girl. Chaos, hilarity, and romance ensue! (Main pairings: TamaHaru, HikaHaru, KyoyaRenge) CHAPTER 2 IS UP!
1. Persuasion

((Hello, hello! This is my first Ouran fanfic in quite some time, and I'm excited to be writing for this lovely fandom again! This story takes place after the manga, but Tamaki and Haruhi are not together yet, nor do they realize their feelings for each other. Some other details about the manga may be changed as well; creative liberties and all that! ;) With that being said, I will do my best to keep everyone in character and to make this a fitting AU ending to the Ouran saga. Please enjoy, read, and review!))

CHAPTER ONE: PERSUASION

By the end of my first week at Sinclair University in Boston, I can already tell a few key differences between this school and Ouran Academy:

1.) This school is big, as in 30,000 students big. I kind of like that about it; I figure there's less chance of gossip being a priority around here, since it'd be impossible to know or even care about all 30,000 students' secrets, right?

2.) This school has a lot of academic-minded people. I've already met five pre-law students like me. We're thinking about forming a study group.

3.) This school is very American. I guess that one is obvious, but I can tell it'll take some time to get adjusted to all the different customs here, and to being one of the few Japanese girls on campus.

Of course, I'm not entirely alone on the foreign front. When they heard I was going here, every member of the host club—including Renge—packed their bags and changed whatever college plans they may have already had, just to accompany me. I still think it's insane, but what's done is done.

I do hope they like it here. I wouldn't want them to regret their decision, even if it would mean they'd finally realize how crazy they are. So far, Tamaki seems to be having the most fun. No surprise there. He took a flier from almost every single booth during Welcome Week, even from the clubs that he was clearly never going to join.

"Archery Club, senpai? You can't shoot an arrow to save your life. It would more likely end your life, come to think of it," I reminded the blond after he talked for a good half hour to the representative of said club, charming her with his supposed enthusiastic interest in joining.

"Well, that's why I want to join! So I can learn!" he said. But I didn't buy it. Because two minutes later, he was obsessed with joining the golf team, and when I said that he probably couldn't make time to partake in two sports clubs, he said he could make it work…along with joining Student Chefs of Sinclair, Young Entrepreneurs Association, Future Farmers of America, and the Knitting Circle.

"Senpai, come on. You can't join the Knitting Circle."

"Says who?!"

"You can't knit, and you're not even interested in it."

"Says who?!" he repeated, sounding even more wounded. "You don't know everything there is to know about me, Haruhi! And besides, college is the time to expand one's horizons! Learn new skills, meet new people, experience things that you never dreamed of!"

Finally Hikaru piped up, but not to make a particularly helpful comment. "Oh, so are you thinking of finally experimenting with Kyoya-senpai, Boss?"

Kaoru finished, "Well, it has been a long time coming."

Of course this just led to the three of them going at each other for another half hour, and now that the last day of Welcome Week is over, I'm thoroughly exhausted. And glad that at the very least, I have my own dorm room away from the guys.

Well, it's mostly my own. I share it with Renge. Which, of course, brings its own unique set of headaches.

At the moment, I'm lying on the bottom bunk bed, and she's on the top. I was able to get my hands on copies of the syllabi from three out of the five classes I registered for, and I'm getting a head start by reading through them.

Renge, on the other hand, is reading some fashion magazine and listening to too-loud Britney Spears music. Or maybe it was Christina Aguilera. I still can't tell the difference. Renge says she plans to become perfectly fluent in English by listening to American pop songs rather than taking any actual courses. I advised her against it, but no one around here seems to really listen to me.

And every few minutes, she interrupts my train of thought with some vapid remark. "Don't you just love this song? It almost makes me want to change my name to Genie! It's just so romantic, don't you think?"

"…Uh…I guess so. I wasn't really listening to the lyrics because I'm trying to read my course syllabi."

I can almost _hear_ Renge rolling her eyes at me. "Classes don't start until Monday! Why are you wasting your time reading those now? These are our last true nights of freedom!"

I sigh, but when I open my mouth to answer, I realize that I can't come up with any solid reason why I should be trying to get ahead in classes I haven't even started yet. Maybe I am wasting my time. But what else should I be doing instead?

After a few moments of silence, Renge fills the void like she usually does. "So listen, I was thinking…now that you're a girl, you should go to sorority rush with me!"

"Now that I'm a girl? I hate to break it to you, but I've always been a girl. And what's sorority rush anyway?"

Renge describes it to me in detail, far too much detail, and as she rambles on about "sisterhood" and "wearing the same tee-shirts to class" and "having the best parties on campus" and "mingling with hot frat guys", I already know it's not going to be my scene.

I let her talk, but as soon as I get a chance, I reply, "No thanks, Renge. I hope you have fun, but I doubt that I would. Thanks for the offer though."

I figure that will be the end of it, quick and painless. But then Renge says something I never saw coming. She says nothing. It might be the first time ever, and a fluttery feeling of worry makes its way to my stomach.

"Renge? Did you fall asleep or something?" I ask minutes later, when the lack of reply has made the room feel stifling.

"No, it's just…" She sighs and turns her music off. "Never mind."

"Never mind? Wait, Renge, what's the matter?" The girl gets on my nerves sometimes, true, but I still consider her my friend, and one of the few female ones I have left. Hearing her sound so uncertain, so defeated…it doesn't sit well with me at all.

"It's nothing. It's just…okay, fine!" She takes a breath and then starts speaking at the speed of light, all her sentences running into each other. "It's just that I was so popular at Ouran and I loved managing the host club and interacting with the fans and…well, now that I'm here, everything has changed, and it's a whole new beginning, and I don't know anyone except you and the guys, and my English isn't that great yet, and I don't know how Americans act or what they like, and I…I don't know, I don't want to go to rush alone! I'm…scared."

I blink. I definitely hadn't expected a heartfelt, fear-filled confession like that from _Renge_. She always seems so confident and nonplussed about everything. "Oh. Wow, Renge, I didn't know…I just thought you were inviting me along because you thought it'd be fun. I didn't know you wanted me there for moral support."

"Well, I do," she admits again with a small embarrassed huff.

Hesitating, I look back to my philosophy course syllabi, thinking over this recent development. From the way Renge described it, sorority life sounds like the polar opposite of how I would want to spend a single night, let alone four formative years at college.

But then I feel a stare on me, and I look up to see Renge gazing down from the top bunk with puppy dog eyes, and though they can't compete with the pitifulness of Tamaki's, they're still pretty convincing.

"…Fine. I guess I'll go with you," I finally say, though it's with the utmost reluctance, and she knows it.

That doesn't stop her from squealing with excitement as she climbs down the ladder that had kindly separated our beds, plopping herself down on the edge of mine, taking my hands in hers, eyes sparkling. "Oh, Haruhi, you really are the best friend a girl could ask for! We're going to have so much fun, I promise!"

I feel a sweat drop slide down the side of my head. "I'm only going with you for the first night though, okay? You can take it from there. I'm sure you'll do just fine anyway; you're probably worrying about nothing. You have a great personality, and it's likely that you won't even need me there after the first few minutes," I say, unable to hide the cautious hopefulness in my voice.

"Well, we'll see about that," she remarks, a mysterious glint of mischief in her eyes. A glint that I really don't like to see at the moment, a glint that makes me doubt the sincerity of anything she had just confessed.

But even worse is the look she gives me the next night, when we're supposed to be leaving for the first round of rush. She walks into our dorm room after a long day of classes and when she sees me, her jaw nearly drops to the floor, her eyes lit with astonishment and disapproval.

"Haruhi, what on earth are you wearing?!"

"Oh, this?" I turn toward the mirror, taking in my appearance. I'm wearing a white button-down shirt, a navy blue blazer, and a simple black tie with just-as-simple black slacks. I look for stains or wrinkles to explain Renge's reaction but find none. "Is there something wrong with it?"

"You can't wear that to rush! It's too plain and too manly! Didn't you bring any dresses with you from home?!"

"Uh…well, yeah, I have a couple casual dresses, but they're nothing fancy. This outfit was the nicest thing in my closet, Renge. And I really don't see what the big deal is."

Of course my protests fall on deaf ears, and before I can stop her, Renge is rummaging through my closet like a madwoman. Within moments, she pulls out a knee-length pink dress with obnoxious yellow daises printed on it. I groan. "No, Renge, that was just…my dad put that in my suitcase even after I told him not to, and I had nowhere to put it, but I'm not actually going to wear that thing."

"Oh, yes, you are! Yes, you are! Go get changed, and when you're done, I'll do your hair and makeup." She forces the dress into my hand and ushers me into the bathroom. I begin to wonder for the millionth time today why I agreed to this.

But then Tamaki's words suddenly and unexpectedly come flooding into my mind: "College is the time to expand one's horizons! Learn new skills, meet new people, experience things that you never dreamed of!"

"Fine," I mumble to myself, unbuttoning my blazer. "But only for tonight."

A half hour later, we arrive at rush. I'm now not only wearing the embarrassing dress but I also have my long hair curled in enormous ringlets and my face feels like a once pristine blank canvas that has now been tarnished with far too many brushstrokes of paint. Somehow, I feel more like a fraud right now than I ever did pretending to be a boy at the host club.

I look around the courtyard and see hordes of beautiful, finely-dressed, high-heeled girls. They're chattering amongst themselves, and there's a nervous excitement in the air. After a few moments pass, to my surprise, I'm starting to feel just a little bit nervous and excited too. But only a little, and I'm sure the feelings will pass.

We wait around for what seems like an eternity before a boisterous blonde girl steps into the gazebo and speaks into a jewel-encrusted microphone. "Ladies! Welcome, welcome, welcome! Tonight is the first night of the rest of your lives! Are you excited? You should be!" I never knew anyone could sound louder or more enthusiastic than Renge, but this girl just might have her beat. "Tonight is the night that you'll meet some of your future sisters for the very first time, and start making bonds that will last forever!" I stifle a snort. "Now when the clock strikes the hour, all of our houses' doors will open, and you'll have your first chance to meet the girls! Are you ready?"

The crowd roars "yes", but my lips are sealed. I can't say I'm ready, since I have no idea what I'm really getting myself into. But ready or not, I hear the clocktower strike 8, and as the girl promised, the doors to every sorority house fly open in perfect unison. Members of each house stand in the doorway, screaming and dancing.

Before I know it, I'm being dragged by my wrist into the house in the middle, and when I turn around, I see Renge being ushered into the furthest one on the right.

'What?! We're getting separated in the first minute? Then why am I here at all?' I can't help but wonder with annoyance. I could be back at the dorm, reading my course descriptions instead of wasting my time with this. So as soon as I enter the house, I do my best to ignore the elaborate decorations, the sugary sweet of freshly baked cookies, and the brightly smiling faces of the girls.

Instead, I start plotting my escape.


	2. Curiosity

((Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews! Please continue to send them my way! ;) Enjoy chapter 2!))

CHAPTER TWO: CURIOSITY

'What can I say I left back at the dorm? I can't say I forgot I have an exam tomorrow since classes haven't even started yet. And I'm sure they have bathrooms here so that excuse is out…'

My mind is racing, but it's still not fast enough to keep up with the redhead that dragged me in here, and though I don't remember making the conscious decision to sit down next to her on a fuchsia pink faux leather couch in the center of the room, that's exactly what I'm doing at the moment.

Then she speaks, and she sounds like one of the mice from Cinderella. "So what's your name? What's your major? Are you just, like, loving Sinclair already? I still remember my first day here! I knew it was the place for me in, like, five seconds."

I'm forced to turn my brain away from excuse-making. "Uh…well, yeah…I mean, my name's Haruhi Fujioka, and I haven't declared a major yet but I'm pre-law…"

"Pre-law? Oh, that's amazing! Our sorority has the highest GPA average out of all the houses, so we definitely welcome ambitious young women like yourself!" The way she says it makes her come across as a ten-year-old opening her gifts at a birthday party, but the statement itself puts me at ease.

But only for a second, because the next thing out of her mouth is: "By the way, where did you get that dress? It's, like, super cute."

"Oh, this?" I blink, looking down at the dress as if I've never seen it before. "To be honest, my dad got me this dress."

"Oh, really? What a sweet guy! Do you know where he bought it from? It looks like Bloomingdale's to me."

I hesitate. But then I remember that I'm not trying to impress her anyway. "He got it from the bar he works at. The manager there, he was giving away some of his old clothes."

She tilts her head so far to the left that it looks like it could roll right off her neck. "He?"

"Yeah. The manager used to be a woman. It's a tranny bar my dad works at, so that kind of stuff is pretty common actually," I explain.

Redhead freezes. Her lips puckered, her eyes bulging. This is the reaction I expected, but now I don't know where to go from here. Surprisingly but luckily for me, she's the first to break the awkward silence. "Well, that's very interesting! It was so nice meeting you, Haruhi! I hope you understand that we, like, have to try to talk to as many girls as possible, so we can't, like, spend too much time with each one, but I'll send someone else over to talk to you. Okay? Okay!"

"Actually, I kind of have to leave anyway—" I attempt, but she's true to her word, I'll give her that at least; before I can finish, another girl has taken her spot beside me on the couch.

"Welcome to Zeta Heta Theta! So why don't you tell me about your extracurricular activities? Were you involved in anything at your high school?" she asks, offering me a dazzling smile. Her teeth are whiter than those of the women on toothpaste commercials.

"Well, yeah, I was a member of one club…" Judging by Redhead's reaction to my father's occupation, I doubt that talking about this will go over well, but lying doesn't feel right either. "A host club."

"A host club? Oh, you mean, a club where you learn how to organize and host parties? That sounds like so much fun!"

"Uh, well, we did host a lot of events, but a 'host club' is a club where guys entertain girls with conversation and flattery."

She can't help but furrow an eyebrow, even though the expression looks unladylike on her. "So you went to an after-school club so that guys would talk to you?"

"Not exactly." For the next ten minutes, I explain my involvement with the host club; I even tell her about getting gum in my hair before my first day of high school and how I had to chop it all off.

But after I'm done, she replies cheerfully, "Well, we do need more lesbians here! Diversity is something we're actively working on! And you're Asian too, so double whammy!" She laughs a hearty laugh.

"But I'm not a—you know what, never mind. I think I forgot my purse back at the dorm room. And I can't go five more minutes without refreshing my lipstick, I'm sure you understand, so I'll be right back. Okay? Okay." She nods understandingly, and it's crystal clear that she didn't pick up a single note of mockery in my voice.

At least I'm free. I stand up from the couch and make my way to the front door, hoping to go entirely unnoticed. Of course it doesn't work out like I planned.

"Excuse me, miss, but all rushees are required to stay in each sorority house for a full half hour before moving on to the next one," a tall blonde says just as I'm turning the flower-shaped golden door knob to leave.

I cringe internally. And externally, I can't help it. Turning to face the girl, I'm about to say something about how they can't hold me prisoner here, but I stop in my tracks when my eyes catch sight of the necklace she's wearing. It's a golden Chinese dragon, and it's the exact same one that I have back at home, in my mother's jewelry box.

She notices me staring and she clasps her hand around the dragon affectionately. "Oh, yes, isn't it lovely? All Zeta Heta Theta members receive this golden dragon on the first day of their last year living in the house. It's just one of the many traditions that bonds us all together."

"Y-yeah, it's really beautiful," I start, unable to tear my eyes away from its glint. "I think my mother has the exact same one."

"Oh, was she a Zeta?" she asks, beaming.

I pause. I know she was in the Zuka Club in high school, but a college sorority? My dad never mentioned that to me. "I'm actually not sure. I've never heard anything about her being in a sorority before."

"Well, most Zetas love to talk about their time in the sorority, so if she never mentioned it to you, it might just be a coincidence that she has a necklace like this. But you should certainly ask her and see what's up! If she was a Zeta, you'll be considered a legacy here!"

A horrible, rock-sized lump rises to my throat. I try to swallow it down. This is definitely not the time or place to be getting emotional about Mom. "Uh…well, she, um…she died actually. When I was five. So I can't really…ask her myself."

I probably shouldn't have said that. From the very little I know about rush, I can tell that bringing up heavy subjects like a dead mother will not be considered proper protocol. I wait for the girl to titter uncomfortably and excuse herself and send another girl over to take on the burden of talking to me, but instead, she takes her hand off the necklace and wraps me in an embrace.

Suddenly, my eyes can see nothing but the peach-colored silk of her dress, and my nose is overwhelmed by the scent of her powdery perfume. Still, I don't repel from the hug. I don't hug her back, but I don't repel. I stay standing there, letting her hug me for a good forty seconds before she separates us.

When our eyes meet again, hers are filled with warmth and compassion. Yet another thing that catches me off guard. "I am very sorry to hear about your loss. My mom died on my twelfth birthday," she says softly. "I thought it was so unfair that I only got her for a little over a decade, but look at you…you only got yours for five years…that's much worse."

I feel my eyes getting watery and look to the ground. "Yeah, it was…still is…really difficult." I then look up at her and offer, "But I don't think it's necessarily worse than what happened to you. I mean, you got to know your mom for your entire childhood and became completely attached to her. And for her to die right at that time when adolescence starts, when everything becomes confusing and scary…when you need her the most…"

Neither of us say anything else for a few moments, but that's because nothing else needs to be said. The silence isn't awkward; it's meaningful. And I feel something, something that can only be described as a 'bond' between me and her.

"So…what's your name anyway?" she asks, chuckling. It is kind of funny that we exchanged sob stories before names.

"Haruhi." I smile and shake her hand.

"I'm Poppy. So have you had a glass of our signature Zeta pink lemonade yet? It's super yummy!"

"No, I haven't. But I wouldn't mind trying some."

After Poppy returns with a glass of the lemonade, I spend about fifteen minutes talking to her. She's double majoring in Philosophy and Biomedical Engineering, which fascinates me; I'm from Tokyo, where she hopes to complete an internship abroad during the summer, which fascinates her. I feel like I could stay and talk to her all night, but the official half hour is up, and all rushees are instructed to visit the other houses.

Walking out of Zeta, I realize I could make a break for it. In this swarm of girls moving from house to house, I could easily slip out into the dark of night and make it back to my dorm room without anyone batting an eye.

But the boisterous announcer girl's voice rings out above the crowd: "Now remember, ladies, even if you have your heart set on pledging one specific sorority, you must visit each house to stay in the game! Anyone that fails to complete Round One will be disqualified from participating in any further rounds, and we don't want that, now do we?"

I think of the golden dragon around Poppy's neck. The same one in my mother's jewelry box.

"No. No, we don't want that," I say, more to myself than the announcer, as I make my way into an ornate-looking house to my left.

It's not that I want to pledge Zeta or anything. Of course not. It's just…curiosity. If I want to get to know more about an organization my mother might have dedicated years to, then I have to "stay in the game", at least for now.

But it's just curiosity. And I'm not a cat, so I think I'll make it out alive.


End file.
